Nut-lock.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAM VANDEVENDER, OF MINGO, VVES'PVIRGINIA.

NUT-LCQK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,797, dated July 29,1902. Application filed May 10, 1902. Serial No. 106,813. (No model.)

To all? who/wit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIAM VAN- DEVENDER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Mingo, in the county of Randolph and State ofWest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in nut-locks.

Theobject of the present invention is to improve the'constrnction ofnut-locks and to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive onedesigned for use on rail-joints, bridge constructiomand various parts ofmachinery subject to vibration and capable of eifectually preventing anut from being jarred loose or accidentally unscrewed.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a device of thischaracter which will not become displaced from the fish-plate or otherpart on which it is mounted when it is temporarily disengaged from a nutto permit an adjustment of the latter.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a rail-joint providedwith a nu t-lock constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional View. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking device. Fig. 5 isa detail view of the nut,illustrating the construction of the inner facethereof. i

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings. i

1 designates a fish-plate designed to be arranged at a rail-joint in theusual manner and provided with bolt-openings 2 and having longitudinalgrooves 3 for the reception of locking devices 4 for engaging nuts 5 ofbolts 6. The bolts pass through the webs of the rails and through theopposite fish-plate in the usual manner and the nuts are provided attheir inner faces with a series of recesses 7, adapted to be engaged bythe looking devices. The groove 3 is composed of an innernarrow portion8 and a wide outer portion 9, which communicates with the boltopening 2,and these wide and narrow portions are provided with undercut edgesf0rming dovetailed grooves. The wide portion 9 of the groove is locatedadjacentto the boltopening and forms a pair of shoulders 10, which areadapted to be engaged by corresponding shoulders 110E the sides 12 ofthe locking device, whereby the latter is firmly heldin engagement withthe nut. The locking device, which isconstructed of steel or otherresilient material, is composed of the said sides 12 and a connectingend portion 13, which engages the Hut. The sides are provided withtrontand rear V-shaped side recesses 14 and 15 to provide dovetailed portionsto interlock with the dovetailed grooves, and these recesses 14 and 15form opposite inclined faces. The recesses 15 are deeper than therecesses 14 and the dovetailed portions are of difierent sizes to formthe said shoulders 11 for engaging the shoulders of the fish-plate,whereby the locking device is held in engagement with the nut. The sides12 are reduced adjacent to the end portion 13 to increase theirresiliency and the end portion is centrally enlarged, as clearly shownin Figs. 1 and 4. The" resiliency of the sides holds the locking'devicein engagement with the nut, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. When it isdesired to unscrew the nut, the sides 12, which are enlarged at theirrear ends to form grips 16, are compressed and are drawn inward into thereduced portion of the groove away from the nut, which is then free tobe rotated, and there is no liability of the look ing device becomingaccidentally detached and lost while the nut is being removed oradjusted.

Itwill be seen that the nut-lock is exceedingly simple and inexpensivein construction, that it is adapted to firmly hold a nut againstaccidental 1'ot-ation,and' that it is capable of enabling the same to bereadily removed when desired. It will also be seen that the lockingdevice cannot become accidentally detached from the plate onwhich it ismounted when it is moved backward awayfrom the nut, and that althoughshown applied to a rail-joint it is capable of being advantageouslyemployed in various other places where the parts are subject to jar andvibration.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a platehaving a bolt-opening and provided with a dovetailed groove extendingfrom the bolt-opening and having an inner narrow portion and an outerwide portion forming shoulders, and a nut-engaging looking devicearranged in the groove and having dovetailed portions of different sizesforming shoulders for engaging the shoulders of the plate, whereby thelocking device is held in engagement with a nut, substantially asdescribed.

2. A device of the class described comprising a plate having abolt-opening and provided with a dovetailed groove extending from thebolt-opening, and a resilient locking device composed of two sidesprovided with longitudinal dovetailed portions arranged in the saidgroove, the sides of the locking device being provided with means forengaging the plate, whereby the locking device is held in engagementwith a nut, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plate having abolt-opening and provided with a dovetailed groove extending from thebolt-opening, and a locking device having dovetailed side portionsinterlocked with the Walls of the groove and provided with projectingportions adapted to be compressed to permit the locking device to slidein the groove, said locking device being provided with a connecting endportion enlarged between the sides and the latter being reduced at theend portion to increase their resiliency, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a nut having recesses andadapted to engage a bolt, a plate having a bolt-opening and providedwith a dovetailedgroove extending from the bolt-opening and providedbetween its ends with shoulders, and a locking device having resilientsides provided with dovetailed portions interlocked with the walls ofthe groove, and provided with means for detachably engaging the saidshoulders, whereby the locking device is held in engagement with thenut, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM VANDEVENDER.

Witnesses:

LORENZO Dow CULLENoE, OLEE SIMMONS.

